Draft-rigging.



G.A.JOHNSON.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPHCATION FILED 050.11. 1913.

Patented July 2, 1916.

IN VEN TOR.

n ww h; M 5mm 8 G enonen A. JOHNSON, or cnrcneo, ILLINOIS, nssrenon T WILLIAM H; MINER, or

cnrcneo, rumors.

DEAFT-RIGGING. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 17,1918; Serial No. 807,2t3.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, GEORGE A. JOHNSON,

This invention relatesto improvements in draft riggings and more particularly to improved removable keys.

An object of the invention is to provide a draft gear for railway cars having keys of,

substantially solid construction which extend through the center sills and are provided with integral means to prevent spreading thereof, each key comprising a plurality of members.

In the drawing forming a partv of this specification, Figure 1 is a part horizontal section, part top plan of a draft gear embodying my improvements, the section being taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a part side elevation and part-vertical section of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 2 -2 of Flg. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken, transver e, vertical section taken substantially on t a line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view' showing the manner of connectmg the rear follower with the yoke and taken from the line 4 of Fig. 2. i

In the said drawing 10 denote the center sills which are of channel form, said sills being slotted'as at 11 and 12 to receive the rear and front keys A an lB respectively. Secured to the webs of thevcenter $1113 in order to strengthenthem and slotted to cor respond with the slots 11 and 12 in the center sills, are reinforcing lates 13. The draw-bar is designated by t e reference 14, the same being slotted to receive a multiple piece key C by which the draw-bar is de tachably connected to the arms 15 and 16 of the yoke, said arms 15 and '16 passing through slots 17 in the front follower 18 and through similar slots in the rear follower 19, the rear ends of the arms 15 and 16 being T-shaped, as shown at 20. Between the front and rear followers is disposed any suitable form of shock absorbing device designated generally by the reference numeral 21. The

followers, which are of like construction but faced in opposite directions, have horizontally projecting portions 22'strengthened by vertically arranged webs '23 and slotted as at24 to receive either of the keys A and B, the. slots 24 being of greater length -than the width of the keys. Each key comprises a plurality of members 25, 26 and 27 the members and 26 being of like con- Patented July 25, rare.

struction and having oppositely turned.

flanges 28 at their ends. The member 27 is in the form of a T and the total combined width of the three members 25, 26' and 27 equals the length of the slots 11 and 12. The flan es 28, as shown, engage the outer faces of t e webs of the center sills and thereby serve to prevent spreading of the center sills under the shocks transmitted thereto. As will be understood, the two members 25 and 26 of each key are first inserted through the slots in the center sills, reinforcing plates and followers, after which the member 27,-

which is in the form of a spreader, isinserted between the members 25 and 26 to thereby completely fill the slots of the center sills and reinforcing plates and hold the partsin proper position. To prevent accidental falling out of the T-shaped member 27, a cotter 29 is used. I

From the preceding description itwill'be seen that I have provided removable or detachable multiple piece keys which are of l substantially solid construction and well adapted to resist the shocks imposed thereon under buff and pull. may be removed and replaced or parts Either or both keys thereof removed and replaced with very little trouble and furthermore the yoke, drawbar and followers are all detachably connected together so that any one of the parts may be readily removed when desired. The keys' 1 which I have provided are of such construction that they may be easily manufactured without casting and without the use of any expensive cores or the like and the resist ance to spreading of the center sills is equal at both ends of the keys. 7

Although I have herein shown and de-' scribedwhat I now consider the preferred embodiment of my improvement, yet it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

1 claim:

In a draft rigging for railway cars the combination with front and rear followers and a shock absorbing mechanism therebetween, each of said followers being provided with upper and lower horizontal slotstherethrough, of upper and lower'links extending through said slots and above and below said shock absorbing mechanism, each of said links having a T head at its rear end which engages the rear side of the rear follower and is adapted to more the latter forwardly under draft.- v

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 15th day of December, 1913, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. GEIGER, JOSEPH HARRIS. 

